With the implementation of privacy laws, people are beginning to be much more aware of what kind of information they are giving out.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) might be investigating Google’s Android for abuse of dominance, according to a Reuters report. The investigation report, which might not see the light of the day anytime soon, would probably cost the company a few crores if the claimed allegations were proven true.
This is hardly the first time for the tech giant to face regulatory hurdles. For example, the company has been embroiled in a series of legal issues such as privacy, advertising and copyrights since 2010 across the globe. The instances seem only to be increasing.
With the implementation of privacy laws, people are beginning to be much more aware of what kind of information they are giving out. These cases are a case in point and are helping to spread awareness about what kind of information users give out and how it could potentially be used.
It might not be an exaggeration to say that more countries are skeptical about the company’s motives and have initiated suo moto investigation.
The recent one is the levy of $5 billion by the European Union anti-trust commission for using Android OS to block its rivals. Previously it had penalised Google for close to $3 billion after it found that Google’s online shopping service was unfair to the competition. Recently Japan started investigating the company and Facebook over concerns over monopoly and personal data in the country.
It does make one wonder what kind of impact these legal issues have on the way Google conducts business. The money can hardly make a dent into Google’s business given that it has $103 billion in cash and securities.
Maybe it has more to do with the brand it created that is taking a beating and the consequence it might foster and less to do with money involved.
"Take the EU anti-trust case for instance. Once the EU levied the fine, other countries such as Japan follow it. It becomes a chain and it will impact the company’s reputation," a senior anti-trust lawyer in India said. Privacy laws and government agencies that are coming down strongly are a case in point.
So the company will have offset its bad reputation and will invest more in other regions where it has a significant presence. The lawyer pointed out the work Google has done in India in partnership with the government such as the rail connectivity. It is more than obvious that Google is in it for the 1.3 billion millennial population that Indian boasts and less to do with being transparent.
Even if more such investigations open up, there is probably nothing we could do. We are at the juncture where it has almost become impossible to live without the search giant, so much so that the word google has become synonymous with search. The company knows it, the world knows it.
Given the inevitability, who are we to blame the tech giant’s arrogance.
